Location: 5th and Morse Street NE, Washington, DC
Client: Edens Development
Size: 50,000 sq ft
Budget: $6.5 Million

Union Market has quickly established itself as a destination area along the New York Avenue corridor into Washington D.C. The area began with the development of some mid-rise and high-rise housing stock in an area that had established tenant office spaces and some government programs. The rehabilitation of an existing building into an open market for food shops and cafes shifted the vibe of the area into a more complete urban 'center', with options for eating and drinking to compliment the business and living conditions. The original Union Market quickly established a brand for the neighborhood.

Looking to expand on their vision for the neighborhood, we were engaged to design the renovation and restoration of about 300 lineal feet of Facade facing 5th Street and Morse Street, along with approximately 50,000 square feet of tenant shell space on 2 stories, just south of the original Union Market food market. The goal was to establish a retail presence to co-habitate with the food market and other opportunities starting to shape the area. The main problem was that the existing historic structure had been extensively used as a warehouse distribution facility for a number of street vendors, meat vendors, and other random products. The spaces were not well cared for by the existing tenants. The bulk of the 5th Street Facade had to be torn out and reconstructed to look like traditional retail storefronts. The unique aspect to this design was the request to have varied character to the new storefronts, each with a different material palette and aesthetic.

The overall project is designed to be LEED compliant, with several new features to enhance the retail spaces that are subtly mixed in with the wonderful urban aesthetic of the existing structure.